Something not everyone knows about silencer use is gas blowback. It’s never seen in movies or tv. When you shoot a silenced firearm, there is the possibility of gas being blown back through the barrel and action and at the shooter. It can be anything from mild and barely noticeable to uncomfortable (sometimes called “gasface”). It can also cause junk and powder residue to blow back. Here’s a picture of my shirt after the last time I shot with a can. Some guns are worse than others. AR-15s are known to leak gas between the upper and lower.

I went shooting with my fiance today and got some trigger time with my silencer. The video shows my Sig P220 .45 ACP shooting some 230 gr. Magtech FMJ with and without the AAC Tirant installed. The buzzing sound is the door alarm to the range. It’s a cease fire notice to save the ears of those outside watching who aren’t wearing ear protection. I’m wearing ear protection even though the Tirant is hearing safe because we were at a public range. The shots in the background are from the next set of bays. The target is Steve the zombie.

I saw the write up on these in this month’s American Rifleman. We’ve had Glocks come with these installed from the distributor. From the guns I’ve seen, they are unreliable, difficult to adjust, and prone to breaking. I’ve seen one stick on and only turn off when the batteries were pulled or they ran out. I’ve seen some that switch between modes when you rack the slide. I don’t know how they expect them to take even 9mm recoil when just tapping them hard enough causes problems. At the price these things are selling for, DEFINITELY avoid them. Look into Crimson Trace Lasergrips or a Lasermax instead.

Well it’s been a long time since I got a chance to post. I’ve been really busy lately. I got to put my hands on a Glock Gen4 the other day. Overall I like the changes. I like the smaller grip. I haven’t gotten to shoot one so I don’t know if the new recoil spring system actually helps with the recoil or not. The finger grooves feel a little smaller. I don’t really have an opinion on the new texture other than I like that it’s not as aggressive as te RTF. Whether the Gen4 is a real improvement is up to the individual. I think it is as long as you don’t overpay for it. If you can get one for the near the price of a Gen3 then go for it. I wouldn’t pay $100 more like I have seen them for though.

Thanks to Steve’s coverage of SHOT Show, we know the TDI Kriss will be available in a pistol configuration and also will be released in .40 S&W. The pistol configuration is for people who want a short barrel without going through the NFA hoops. The only trade-off is you can’t put a stock on it. I’d love a short barrel Kriss in .45 but I would have to have the stock and that would make it NFA. If I was going to go through the NFA hoops for an SBR it would probably be an UZI or an AR-15 so I could use multiple calibers.

First time I’ve ever seen a 1911, or any automatic pistol, with an octagon barrel. Detonics is going to be releasing the 3rd iteration of the Combat Master. It has some other interesting features. The front sight is on the barrel instead of the slide. This is to help rapid follow up shots. The front sight moves very little allowing the shooter to regain a sight picture faster. Also somewhat unique is the front slide serrations on the subcompact model. Most Commander sized guns just have rear serrations, let alone the 3″ guns.